


Eternal Wind

by magiinemagiine



Category: Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin
Genre: Gen, Running, comfy, comfy as heck, comfy as heck x2, kazemaru is good!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:07:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18363866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magiinemagiine/pseuds/magiinemagiine





	Eternal Wind

Being surrounded with his former friends at Raimon secretly brought a strong warmth into Kazemaru’s heart; the warmth that remained with him from all the way back then still kept the dark and lonely areas in his heart and mind filled with a small comforting light deep within, a light that never seemed to fade away for him, even if he was in such a place like the Teikoku Academy. As his lonesomeness increased each passing day, he at the very least became a more focused individual, one who smiles less, but who aspires to do more. His smile was now a rare one and it made him wince in slight pain when he thought of how Endou and the ones at Raimon would perceive him; the pain disappeared when he trained along those like Sakuma or Fudou, newfound people who knew of the strange sensations that came from _‘darkness’_ . Aside from keeping himself company with such people, he was also the type of person to take days off and do other activities by himself, a day much like this one. Just a noiseless and tranquil morning with a single Kazemaru to stroll along with the atmosphere, much like a falling leaf, or a strong silent breeze. 

He wasn’t too far from his house and had already walked a fine amount away from it, although remaining on the same block as where he lived. He stood at the end of the furthest street, positioned far enough that his home was no longer in sight for now. The wind was very gentle at certain points of his venture, a wind that picked up very suddenly and caught him off guard. His long tied up hair and single bang were buffeted by the striking wind, his small blue bomber jacket rustling even more. The teen hugged his arms and shivered a little bit, a slightly annoyed expression taking over. He considered himself a well ally of the wind but on this very day, said wind only turned against him. What would someone like Endou or Gouenji do if they were here with him? Probably laugh or tease him, he thought. Thinking of such things kept him at ease and also kept his day from getting entirely ruined. He paid no further mind to the sudden harsh breeze and merely accepted it, crossing the street when it was finally time. The coming sidewalk was still somewhat empty, but still comforting for someone like him. Every step he took was silent, and he could only hear the sounds of moving leaves on the trees way up above. He kept his gaze directed at the sky while he continued to walk, not worrying about running into anyone or anything. The sight of the endless stream of that unknown blue filled with thin wisps scattered across gave him the best comfort. Clouds reminded him of Raimon as well; clouds were big and round, fluffy, simply showing themselves off to the world, sometimes radiating or deteriorating. These thin, declining clouds scrambled all over the sky reminded him of his old team before everyone chose to take their own separate routes. While it wasn’t forever, Kazemaru still felt it in his chest, this sudden change. 

“Facing the rest of the world… is it really possible, Endou?” he pondered, still watching the clouds move past him. The clouds not only brought him memories of Raimon but also many different rays of hope for himself too. These clouds were dispersed all over the world too with no halt, clouds that were looked at across many countries; confident clouds who didn’t think any less of themselves and made their presence clear on the world—Kazemaru also wanted to have those exact thoughts. The once settling winds begin to strike viciously again, this time he was prepared for the next wave. He lowers his head to look at his red shorts, that still expression of his altering to the game face he’d make during all his soccer games. Without thinking further, the aspiring cloud sprinted at an unknown speed, a speed that grew with each step this boy took. Kazemaru ran and ran, he ran through these empty streets and felt at home right beside the wind. So many thoughts were circling his mind while he did so—thoughts of Raimon, Endou’s optimism, the strength of Gouenji, Kidou’s strategic greatness; all of which were qualities he admired while wishing to stand beside those people to face the world. If Endou was the sun and the center of the world, Kazemaru was more than happy to be the strongest wind surrounding it all. What better place was suited for him to come to terms with his strength and further feast on his desire? The track field was the only answer. 

Upon arrival, he was already grasping for air because of how long he ran towards this destination. Seeing the wide grass field and the intimidating running track sort of helped him regain all his stamina back; he wanted to continue, to keep pushing his own limits. He removed his own jacket and left it laying on a nearby bench, stretching his legs afterwards and jogging towards the starting line of the track. It felt lonely, yes, but even he had to face his own fear of being left behind by everyone else and the fear of never surpassing himself. Much like the finish line that awaited him, everyone dear to Kazemaru was also at the same line, also waiting. Being alone in this field had a whole different vibe compared to his training with Teikoku and his training with Raimon. His aquamarine hair rustled with the harsh wind—the clouds were much darker than before. The timing was perfect—he began to run without hesitating, at a much faster speed than previously. Time was irrelevant here, the only thing that mattered to him was the idea of feeling relieved at the end and fulfilled. 

He couldn’t count how many times he passed the finish line but there he was now, seated on the bench, drenched in his own sweat but even more drenched with the feeling of comfort. The clouds were splitting away to reveal a soft and sincere sun, a sun that he smiled at. 

“Endou… Keep waiting for me, Endou. I’ll be able to stand with you all soon enough,” he ushered, grinning widely for once, sighing in deep relief.

“I suppose you think of him a lot too when you’re training, then,” a voice said, a voice that Kazemaru was afraid of and a voice he hadn’t heard in forever.

“… _You_ ,” Kazemaru got up from the bench and turned around, his visible eye growing at the sight of Aphrodi from the Zeus team.

Aphrodi’s smile was dazzling and quite a distraction to say the least, but he had both of his hands held up, each hand holding two signature cans of ‘God Bull’. His radiant glowing hair outshined the sun and stood far apart from the dark and gloomy atmosphere left behind by the clouds. He threw a can at Kazemaru and turned around to walk away, motioning the other to follow him. Kazemaru caught the can and stood still there in slight confusion but ended up going after him anyways after grabbing his jacket. An odd way to end the day, but it definitely beat going home alone. It was a strange sight and a strange occurrence for Kazemaru to be with such a person, someone who he himself had no real connection with like Endou did. The streets were still quiet, the sky varied with soft hues of orange and violet. The atmosphere was comforting, and it made Kazemaru feel relieved once again.

“So, uh, how long were you watching me for? It’s kind of weird and creepy for you to show up like that out of nowhere… me of all people, aha,” stated Kazemaru, smiling nervously as he opened the can and took a small sip of the beverage. A weird yet energizing taste. Wings, huh. Maybe that could help him during training. He’ll consider it for next time. 

“Who knows, perhaps it was a meeting of fate?” Aphrodi had a rather genuine voice and a voice that could speak right into your heart, in the many ways that Endou’s voice did. Seeing this happier and genuine Aphrodi was a real delight. 

“Fate, hm. Hm. Maybe. Maybe so. That’s not a bad way to see things…,” said Kazemaru, drinking more from the can and holding the item closely to him. He thought a lot about Aphrodi too in that sudden moment, about how Aphrodi too had a past of darkness and how he had already surpassed Kazemaru by far. Aphrodi was the perfect example of someone who had finally surpassed himself and has achieved the happiness he wanted to achieve. Kazemaru almost found that inspiring. Deep down he too agreed that the meeting today was fate, something he’d keep with him.

Aphrodi finished his drink in a single sip, smiling at Kazemaru before stopping in his tracks. “I don’t know what’s entirely on your mind but, the way you were running in that crazy wind… I hope that you always keep your head up. Endou would want that for us both, Kazemaru.” 

Kazemaru hesitantly nods, but with the perfect smile to close off the day. He bumped his can against Aphrodi’s can before drinking the rest of the God Bull in one gulp. 

_"I'll continue to do my best."_


End file.
